Can Lightroom use a second computer to export images faster?
Asked 6/23/2015
73 views
2 answers
0
I edit in Lightroom on a Mac because its display is more color-accurate, but my PC is faster and would likely export images more quickly. Is there any practical way to use the PC as a secondary machine just for rendering/exporting Lightroom photos from the same edits? I’ve considered sharing a folder or catalog between the Mac and PC, but I’m wondering whether Lightroom supports anything like a render farm, or if there’s a simpler workflow.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
3
One way to prevent the back and forth of data would be to install LR on the PC and store all your files there as well. You than use your mac to connect to your PC via remote control.
Here's the app from microsoft that should do this in the app store
It's kind of like a virtual machine as you have windows in a window, but it's the real thing, being connected to the real machine over the network. Speaking of which, you want a beefy network connection. Don't try this over wifi.
I have no experience with this at all. The reviews aren't looking overwhelmingly positive either. Still, I think this is your best bet.
Originally by user35348. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user35348
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightroom doesn’t really support a true “render farm” workflow. The practical options mentioned are:
- Keep the files on shared storage and write edits to XMP sidecars, then open/import that folder on the PC and export there.
- Or store the files on the PC and remote into it from the Mac so you can use the Mac display while the PC does the work.
Both approaches add overhead: syncing/importing, relinking files, and network latency. For a small job like 30 images, that overhead will likely outweigh any export speed gain. This kind of split workflow only starts to make sense for very large batches.
The simplest solution is usually to use the better display directly with the faster computer, if your hardware can support it. In short: yes, you can approximate it with shared storage or remote access, but Lightroom itself doesn’t offer a straightforward distributed export system, and for small batches it’s probably not worth the hassle.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Why does the same Lightroom catalog export different color tones on two Macs?
Mac/PC photo organizer with NAS support and watched folders
How do I move a Lightroom catalog and photo library from a Windows PC to a MacBook Pro?
Why do my Nikon D800 RAW files look darker in Lightroom or Aperture than on the camera LCD?
How does Lightroom 6 choose rendering intent when exporting JPEGs?